Chapter 21 of the Laozi

Chinese Text

孔kǒng德dé之zhī容róng, 唯wéi道dào是shì从cóng.
道dào之zhī为wéi物wù, 唯wéi恍huǎng唯wéi忽hū.
忽hū恍huǎng中zhōng有yǒu象xiàng, 恍huǎng忽hū中zhōng有yǒu物wù.
真zhēn冥míng中zhōng有yǒu精jīng, 其qí精jīng甚shèn真zhēn, 其qí中zhōng有yǒu信xìn.
自zì古gǔ及jí今jīn, 其qí名míng不bù去qù, 以yǐ阅yuè众zhòng甫fǔ.
吾wú何hé以yǐ知zhī众zhòng甫fǔ之zhī然rán?
以yǐ此cǐ.

Translation

The visible forms of Great Virtue emanate solely from the Tao.
Such is the nature of the Tao.
It is vague, it is indistinct.
How indistinct, how vague!
Within it, there are images.
How vague, how indistinct!
Within it, there are beings.
How profound, how obscure!
Within it, there is a spiritual essence. This spiritual essence is profoundly true.
Within it resides the infallible testimony (of what it is); from ancient times to the present, its name has not passed away.
It gives rise to all beings.
How do I know that this is so for all beings? (I know it) by the Tao.

Notes

That is to say, all visible beings. E: The word 孔 kǒng means "great". From heaven and earth to the 万物 wànwù, all things that have a body, a form, and can be seen—all these things, I say, are the visible forms (lit. "the body and the form") of Great Virtue (that is, of the 道 Dào). They come solely from the 道 Dào.

苏子由 Sū Zǐyóu: The 道 Dào has no body. When it began to circulate (in the universe), it became Virtue, and then it took on a form. This is why Virtue is the manifestation of the 道 Dào. One can conclude from this that the forms (the sensible forms) of all beings are the manifestation of the 道 Dào in creatures.

E: The four epithets 恍 huǎng, 惚 hū, 杳 yǎo, 冥 míng—"vague, indistinct, deep, obscure"—also contain the idea of invisibility.

A, C: It is itself the model and the image of all beings.

E: The 道 Dào has neither body nor visible form. But, although it is said to be incorporeal, within it, it truly contains beings. C: It provides the substance of all beings.

B: "In medio ejus est spiritus." C: It is pure, it is one and unmixed; it is without artifice and without ornament. E: It is perfectly true and free from falsehood.

E: The words 有信 yǒuxìn mean "to contain within oneself a true testimony, and not to fail." Alternatively, 苏子由 Sū Zǐyóu: (It is faithful) and does not deceive us. 刘骏夫 Liú Jùnfū: It is faithful and does not fail; it is eternal and unchanging.

E: Among all beings, there has never been one that has not passed away, that is to say, that has not had an end. The 道 Dào is the only being of which it is said that it does not pass away (lit. "that it does not go away").

B: In the past, it had no beginning; in the future, it will have no end. At all times it has been invariable. It does not change and is eternally preserved; this is why 老子 Lǎozǐ says: Its name has not passed away.

E: The word 阅 yuè means to count one by one the people who pass through a gate. 老子 Lǎozǐ compares the 道 Dào to a gate through which all beings pass to arrive at life. This word indicates that all beings have come one after another through the Way (through the 道 Dào); but the 道 Dào does not go away with them. This is why 老子 Lǎozǐ says: From ancient times to the present, its name has not passed away.

Ibid. The expression 众甫 zhòngfǔ designates heaven and earth as well as all beings. 李斯 Lǐ Sī and a few other interpreters have explained 阅 yuè as "to see," and the word 父 fù as "beginning."—"Here is how the Sage can see (阅 yuè) the beginning (父 fù) of all (众 zhòng) beings, and know from where they come..."

The reader will note that this explanation of 阅 yuè would require this verb to refer to the Sage, and not to the 道 Dào, as we have done following the example of 司马迁 Sīmǎ Qiān (E).

E: By what art do I know it? I know it solely by the 道 Dào. Indeed, since they all emanate together from the 道 Dào, as soon as I possess the mother, I know its children.—The word "mother" designates the 道 Dào, and the word "children," the beings that emanate from it.